Heroine Doll
by Tina Vainamoinen
Summary: It has been ten years since Alleta made her promise to Mathias. When a threat to that promise appears, Alleta sets off to find her soulmate. But the road ahead is full of dangers and secrets that only she can overcome. Kingdom!AU. (Contains Fem!Iceland and other genderbent characters) WARNINGS: Character death, suggestive themes, etc.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Hetalia isn't mine.**

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Rinda Frydenlund was a beloved queen. Known to be kind and fair. She was also unique. Rinda had never been weak, or always obedient. No, she was strong and would do what she felt was right. And it usually was.

Normally, she'd be walking through the gardens at this time. She had always loved that labyrinth of green leaves and colorful flowers. But she couldn't be doing that right now. She was much too busy gazing at the small babe in her arms. The infant was only a day old. Too young to be outside. Especially since autumn was settling on the land.

She loved everything about her little girl. The child's wide eyes that reminded of twilight, white hair that was soft as a dove's feather, and skin that was smooth and fair. To Rinda, she was the most beautiful baby in the world. Now if she could only think of a good name...

The creak of a floorboard reached the queen's ears and she turned to see her five-year-old son. He had his usual stoic expression as he stood in the doorway. Even without expression or words, Rinda knew that he wanted to see his new sister for the first time.

"Come on in, Lukas. Come see your sister." Rinda said softly, not wanting to be loud in the presence of the baby.

The young boy immediately made his way into the room and to where his mother sat. Rinda tilted the infant in her arms a bit for him to see. His eyes widened a bit in awe.

"She's so small, Mor. If I touch her, will she break?" Lukas asked, looking to his mother.

"No, Lukas. She is not a porcelain doll. Go ahead, touch her hand." Rinda said with an encouraging tone.

The boy carefully reached out and held the babe's tiny hand in his own. As his mother had said, she did not break. In fact, the baby held two of his fingers tightly in her hand. Lukas smiled.

"I want to be a good big brother to lille søster." Lukas said to himself, making a promise.

"I bet you will be." Rinda said with a smile.

Lukas looked up at her, "Can I name her?"

Rinda thought about it for a moment. She couldn't come up with a reason why he shouldn't. "Go ahead." she said.

The boy looked his sister straight in the eye, "Alleta."

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**A/N: That was only the prologue. The actual chapters will be longer. The baby is Fem!Iceland and Lukas is obviously Norway.**

**Alleta is a Scandinavian name that means 'Heroine'. It'll make sense later.**

**While typing this, I was listening to things like _"Sleepsong"_ and _"Bad Apple (Music Box Version)"._ They kind of helped with the mind-set and how well this turned out. I suggest listening to them.**

**Translations:**

**Mor. (Norwegian) - Mother.**

**Lille søster. (Norwegian) - Little sister.**


	2. Engaged

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.**

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_Alleta looked down at the wild-haired boy on the ground with superiority. "I win." she said, moving her fake sword away from his chest._

_"No fair! I bet you cheated!" Mathias accused as he stood and dusted himself off. Of course, he was only joking._

_The two had become friends a few months ago when Alleta was first allowed to walk through the village near the castle with her big brother. At first, she'd been annoyed by him, but eventually warmed up to his goofy behavior._

_And on the third day of every week, Alleta would sneak out through a part of the garden gates that was missing a bar, just so they could play and talk with each other._

_Alleta looked up at the sky and saw that the sun would soon be setting. Time did indeed fly when you were having fun. "I've got to go, see you in a week." she said, starting to walk away._

_But a hand on the sleeve of her dress made her stop. She turned and was surprised to see Mathias looking sad._

_"I won't be seeing you next week. Not for a long time, actually." the boy said sadly._

_Alleta looked at him in confusion. He was joking, right? He had to be. There was no way that he'd just stop seeing her. No way._

_"Come on, Mathias. I have got go. No time for jokes." Alleta told him. But the sad look never faltered on the Danish boy's face._

_"I'm not joking. My father has decided to leave the kingdom for some reason that he will not tell anyone. I think it's because he's heard of the gold being found in other places." Mathias said, not meeting Alleta's eyes._

_The snow-haired girl stared at him, feeling something inside of her shatter. Like when one of the cooks accidentally dropped a glass plate onto the cold stone floor._

_Suddenly, a fiery feeling overcame the shattering. "Well, I will make sure to come and find you one day, Mathias." she said, meaning it._

_Mathias looked at her blankly for a moment, then slowly smiled. "I'd like that very much. But I want to tell you one more thing before you go." he said._

_"What?" Alleta asked. Her eyes widened when the boy pecked her on the lips, her face blushed red enough to challenge a cherry._

_The Dane looked at her with slightly pink cheeks, "I really like you. And I want to marry you someday. Promise that you won't marry anyone but me."_

_It took a moment for Alleta to encourage words from her mouth. "I promise. I'll only marry you, no one else." she said. Then, after one last good-bye, turned to leave._

Alleta groaned a bit at the light shining in her face. Why did the sun always target her the moment it rose over the horizon?

She sat up and stretched, then sighed.

It had been ten years since her Danish friend had left. Ten excruciatingly long years. But Alleta had never forgotten that last day with him. Never forgot the promise either. And she had lived up to it so far. But it was getting harder. With suitors coming from all over the kingdom, seeking her hand in marriage. Her parents were becoming more and more impatient with her constant rejections, too.

She wished that they would marry off Lukas instead. But for some reason, the stoic man seemed to have no attraction to anyone he met. Their parents had first feared he enjoyed the company of men, but no, he simply had no attraction to anyone. So, it was Alleta who had to be married.

A knock on the door caught her attention. Knowing who it was, she gave permission for it to open. Once the door did, in stepped a woman with long brown hair and green eyes.

"Your parents have asked for your presence by the gates. Dress nicely." the woman said with a thick Hungarian accent.

Alleta nodded, "I'll be there soon. Thank you, Elizabeta."

Elizabeta smiled and exited the room, allowing Alleta to get up and dress herself.

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When Alleta came out to the gates, she saw an unfarmiliar face and knew exactly what was happening. Another suitor.

"Alleta, this is Ivan Braginski. He has heard much of you back in his homeland, and wishes to take your hand." her mother, Rinda said with a happy smile.

"Oh? What things has he heard?" Alleta asked, looking at the tall man. To be truthful, she felt slightly uneasy around him. But it was most likely because of his massive size compared to her own.

The platinum-blonde smiled with the innocence of a child as he spoke, "I have heard that you are beautiful, but that you are also a tough little one. You will need much training to be a good wife, da?"

Alleta frowned, not liking the words one bit. Even though he had complimented her at first, the nice words did not sound right coming from him.

"I must say that I am still not interested in marriage quite yet. I am sorry that you have come all this way for nothing." she said almost unconsciously. Those were the words she always said to kindly reject a man.

She was surprised to hear her mother laugh softly. Why was Rinda laughing?

"My dear daughter, du er allerede koblet inn!" Rinda said happily.

"Hvað?! Hvað meinarðu?!" Alleta asked, so angry that she reverted to speaking Icelandic. A language she prefered rather than Norwegian.

"I went to a fortune teller in one of the villages and asked about who your future husband would be. And Ivan was the answer!" the queen said.

Rinda and Ivan both looked as though it were the greatest news of the century. But Alleta made herself a promise then and there.

She would not be here to get married. By morning, she'd be long gone.

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**A/N: Yes, this story is DenIce. Sorry to anyone who thought it would be DenNor or something.**

**Lukas is not asexual or homosexual. He just hasn't found anyone that catches his interest yet. That's all.**

**Translations:**

**Du er allerede koblet inn! (Norwegian) - You are already engaged!**

**Hvað?! Hvað meinarðu?! (Icelandic) - What?! What do you mean?!**

**REVIEW! I NEED THEM OR I WILL EXPLODE! That happens to me sometimes...**


	3. Farewell

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.**

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The half-moon shone its light down on the land below it, the soft ivory beams offering Alleta a way to see without the need for a candle. She silently thanked the moon. If it had not decided to light her footsteps, she would have to use a candle, and most likely get caught.

She was just about to slip past the kitchen when a voice made her heart drop.

"Princess Alleta? What are you doing awake at this hour?" a female voice asked, an Italian accent on it.

Alleta calmed herself as much as possible and turn to face the woman. "I'm sorry, Felicia, I was just going to take a walk through the gardens. I can't seem to sleep tonight." she lied. She hated lying. Especially to people that trusted her like Felicia. The Italian cook had come to the castle to work four years ago. The two had always gotten along. Even though Felicia could be a bit obnoxious and clumsy.

Felicia looked at her in complete disbelief, "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Shoulders slumping, Alleta sighed heavily. No use in lying further. "Yes," she said.

"I cannot blame you. Being forced to marry a man tomorrow that you do not even know. Plus, he makes everyone in his path quiver with fear." Felicia said, shuddering a bit.

The Italian turned a bit, "Wait here."

A few moments later, she returned, carrying a large square of cloth that had been tied to hold something. She held it out to the snow-haired girl.

Alleta carefully took it in her hands, unsure if anything inside was fragile. "What is in it?" she asked.

"Some food that will not go bad too soon. But try to keep it as cool as possible. And here," Felicia held out a sharp knife by its handle, "Just in case. You never know..."

A bit surprised by the dangerous utensil, Alleta cautiously took the knife and put it securely in her belt. She then smiled at the cook, "Thank you, Felicia."

Felicia smiled back. "You are welcome. Go on, now." she said, motioning for Alleta to leave.

Alleta left the castle and started towards the stables. She need her horse. Of course, luck was not on her side, when she bumped into Elizabeta and Lukas.

The two looked at her in surprise.

"Alleta, what are you doing out here?" Lukas asked sternly. How could she have forgotten that he usually came out into the gardens in the middle of the night? And that Elizabeta would come out to tend to some plants.

Before she could answer, Elizabeta pointed at the knife in her belt. "Why do you have that?" she asked.

Alleta sighed, knowing that there was no believable excuse out of this. Especially not believable to Lukas. The man could detect any lie.

"I'm leaving. I will not stay here if I am to be forced into marriage to a man that I do not know, nor love." Alleta said.

There was a long moment of silence. Not even the crickets dared to chirp their songs. Finally, Lukas spoke.

"Elizabeta, please go fetch Cloud from his stall. My sister will be needing his assistance if she wishes to get far before the sun rises." he said.

The Hungarian immediately obeyed.

Alleta looked at Lukas with bewilderment. She'd expected him to make her go back to the castle and stay in her room until it was time for the wedding. Why would he be allowing her to go?

"If you're not back in a year, I'm going to find you and drag you back here." Lukas said, watching as Elizabeta came back with a charcoal stallion.

"Why are you letting me go?" Alleta asked.

Lukas looked at her with his ever stoic expression, "If I don't, then you'll be married to someone I doubt you even like. For me to let that happen wouldn't make me a very good store bror, would it?"

A smile came across Alleta's face and she hugged her brother tightly, "I'll be back, hopefully."

She did not see the small smile that was on Lukas' face as she embraced him. It was gone once she let go. Alleta turned to Elizabeta and took her horse's reins.

"Thank you, Elizabeta. I'll miss you, too." she said.

The former wet nurse gave a smile, "I shall miss you too. Now go, child. Az angyalok vigyázzanak rád."

With one last look at the two, Alleta got onto her horse's back and gave a crack with the reins. The stallion moved slowly at first, but steadily gained speed, until he was going full gallop away from the castle.

Lukas prayed that he had made the right choice to let his dear sister go, and that she'd be safe.

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**A/N: I got 1 review! I'm so happy that someone cared enough to do so!**

**Translations:**

**Store bror. (Norwegian) - Big brother.**

**Az angyalok vigyázzanak rád.** **(Hungarian) - Let the angels protect you.**

**Please review! Surely you have enough time to. Just a simple smiley face is good enough!**


	4. The Puffin

**Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me.**

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"Come on, Cloud! We have to cross!" Alleta said, trying to convince the stallion into crossing the river. She should have remembered that Cloud hated going through water. Even if it was as still as a rock.

The only way to get him to move would be leading him on foot. So be it.

Alleta jumped off the horse's back and held up her dress' hem with one hand. Then took hold of the reins with the other. Stepping towards the water, she gave a small tug. Cloud began to move, and gave a huff, satisfied he wouldn't be the only one who would get wet.

"Yes, you won. Don't rub it in." Alleta said as she walked through the cold water. A soft hiss escaped her as it seeped into her boots. They'd have to cross quickly before her feet became numb.

Luckily, Cloud seemed to agree and sped up. Once on dry land again, Alleta stomped her feet a few times to get some of the water out of her boots. After a couple stomps she moved towards Cloud and got on his back again.

"Alright, boy. Let's get going. Manchiesta's boundary is not far from here." she said, clicking the reins. Cloud started walking away from the river and into the wooded area beside it.

After a few minutes however, the horse stopped and looked around nervously. This caught his rider's attention immediately and she looked around, trying to spot whatever was making him uneasy.

The answer, was a bird. A puffin.

"Cloud, it is nothing but a little bird. Don't tell me you are afraid of something much weaker than you." Alleta said with annoyance. The horse began walking again, but was still wary of the puffin.

And as if the bird wanted to prove Alleta wrong, it flew up and pecked at Cloud's flank. The reaction was immediate. A startled cry came from the charcoal-coated animal and he kicked out one of his back legs in defense.

This only annoyed Alleta further. However, it was obvious that the bird was intent on following them. She'd have to scare it away.

So, after stopping Cloud's movement, she got off of his back and picked up a nearby stone. The puffin looked at her as if saying 'Go ahead, I dare you'.

Not appreciating the look, Alleta threw the stone down, close to the bird's side. He flinched, but otherwise did not move. And almost mockingly, he squaked at her.

"Fine," Alleta said as she hopped back onto Cloud, "Follow us all you like. You're not going to get anything out of it."

The bird flapped his wings and followed them. Alleta glanced back and noticed how his feathers looked a bit slick. As if he'd taken a swim...

How long had the puffin been following them?!

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By nightfall, Alleta had decided it'd be best to settle down for the night. She tied Cloud to a semi-thick tree and plopped herself down on the grass. The green blades scrapped against her skin with tiny teeth. No doubt she'd be itching in the morning.

The puffin had indeed followed her throughout the day, and pecked at Cloud multiple times. He only stopped for a short while when Alleta shouted at him. It seemed like he was just doing it to get attention.

Even now, the small bird was settled nearby. He certainly wasn't asleep, as he was staring at her as if she were a fish trapped on land. Easy for picking.

Well Alleta was not easy for picking. And would absolutely not give in the the bird's want for attention. She was not the type to go down without a fight.

"Stop staring at me, you creepy bird." she said irritably. How could she sleep with the feeling of eyes on her?

However, the puffin did not heed. But only seemed to stare even more intently.

Without warning, he squaked loudly.

The sound made Alleta jump and sit up, just as an arrow landed where her head had been.

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**A/N: You gotta love Mr. Puffin. (Laughs at how "creative" the name is)**

**Who shot the arrow? I will not tell you until the next chapter.**

**For those who are wondering, the other nordics will appear in the story later. Spoiler Alert: Finland is genderbent. And for a reason. *Evil***

**Please review! They let me know that you care!**


	5. Frenchman

**Disclaimer: Hetalia will never be mine. ;_;**

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Alleta jumped to her feet and grabbed the knife from her beside her. Without another thought, she threw the knife into the darkness. A pained yelp told her that the sharp weapon had met its target.

Deciding it was now safe, Alleta walked towards the shooter of the arrow. As she got closer, she could see that it was a man with shoulder-length blonde hair. He was cursing in what seemed like French as he glared down at the knife in his left thigh.

"That's what you get, óþokki." Alleta said as she approached him, kicking away his bow in the process. Best to make sure he didn't have a weapon anymore.

The man looked up with a surprised expression. "Une femme?!" he asked. Alleta had no idea what he had said, only knowing how to speak Icelandic, English, Norwegian, and a small bit of Danish.

She gave the Frenchman a confused look before kneeling down and pulling the knife from his leg. He was lucky, the wound was not deep and would probably heal soon. With proper care, that is.

Alleta sighed. She wasn't the kind of person to leave someone alone when they were wounded. Even if said person tried to shoot her with an arrow.

"Come on." she said, holding out her hand to him. He cautiously accepted, as if wary that she'd pull the knife on him. Alleta helped him stand and then assisted in walking him to her make-shift camp.

Once there, she eased him down to sit on the ground. In an instant, the puffin ran over and began biting at the man's hands and wrists.

Alleta gave a stern look to the bird as she tore a strip of cloth from the hem of her dress, "Stop that, bird."

Oddly enough, the animal obeyed and moved a short way away and sat, but he seemed to glare at the Frenchman with suspicion and warning.

"Ignore the bird. Let me at your leg." Alleta said, sitting on her knees next to the man. He moved the injured limb so that she could wrap the cloth around the wound and tie it securely.

"There. Now, tell me why you tried to kill me earlier." Alleta demanded, looking at him with eyes hard as the rocks near the ocean.

The man had an apologetic expression, "I am sorry for that. I mistook you for a bandit, and figured it would be best to get you before you caused trouble."

"Well I am obviously not." Alleta said. But she was interested in what he'd said, "What is this about bandits?"

"Ah yes, those men have been coming into my village, and creating trouble wherever they wanted. Going as far to break the arm of an elderly woman!" the man said, anger evident in his blue eyes.

Alleta blinked a few times, allowing that to sink in. She knew that bandits were bad, but to harm an innocent elder? That was something she didn't want to encounter.

The man suddenly turned to her, "It is not safe for a woman to be alone with these bandits around. Who knows what unspeakable things they'd do to you if you bumped into one?"

"Well, I suppose I must get moving as soon as the sun rises." Alleta said. Which should be within a few hours.

"No, no, " the Frenchman said, "You must come to my village. It is safer than staying here the rest of the night. And even traveling in the day!"

Alleta had no time to protest before the man struggled to his feet, despite the throbbing pain in his leg, and grabbed her hand to lead her.

"Hold on! At least let me get my horse! I can't leave him here!" Alleta reasoned, terrified at the thought of a bandit stealing Cloud and most likely abusing him. She loved the horse, even though he was stubborn.

The man let her wrist go and allowed her to untie Cloud's reins, then lead the horse to where he stood. She mounted, then held out her hand as she had done before.

"Get on. I doubt you will be able to get very far on that leg." Alleta said. The man did as she said.

As the man gave specific directions, Alleta listened and directed Cloud to slowly gallop on the unseen trail. Of course, the puffin followed close behind.

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The next morning, Alleta stood outside a small house, waiting to hear how Francis', which apparently was the Frenchman's name, was doing.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, the healer, a quiet blonde, walked out. Alleta had learned her name was Madeline. And was Francis' cousin.

"His leg should be healed within a week or maybe a few days more, as long as it does not catch infection. You did well with wrapping it, not too tightly, but just enough. Well done, Miss Alleta." Madeline said.

"Thank you. And, please, just call me Alleta." the snow-haired woman insisted. She had always asked the servants, cooks, and guards to just call her by her name. It felt wrong to have them address her with such formality when they had known her for so long.

Out of what seemed like nowhere, an albino came up and wrapped his arm around the healer's waist, pulling her to his side. Alleta remembered that his name was Gilbert, one of Francis' best friends. Along with a Spaniard named Antonio.

Like her, Gilbert had a bird that was constantly around him. A small, yellow canary. The gamboge bird was perched on the albino's head, twittering as if saying 'hello'.

"What are you doing, Birdie? Talking to your new friend?" Gilbert asked with a Prussian accent.

Madeline sighed, "Gilbert, wouldn't you rather be checking on your friend? Or maybe even making my brother annoyed?"

The Prussian blinked, "I should probably do that, huh? Alright, Franny first, then that brother of yours!" He quickly ran into the small house to see his friend.

"You sicked him on your brother?" Alleta asked, not as worried about the resting Frenchman.

"He would've gone to do it anyway. Besides, Alfred has gotten used to it...in a way." Madeline said quietly.

Alleta wondered just how much the albino had bothered the quiet girl's brother, and just how "used to it" he was.

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**A/N: Since you've probably realized that this story is set in a much older time period, Germany did not exist back then. So yes, I said Prussian.**

**And for those who are wondering, Francis will be his pervy self soon enough. Just not as much as other authors tend to make him.**

**Translations:**

**Une femme?! (French) - A woman?!**

**óþokki. (Icelandic) - Bastard.**

**REVIEWZ! I NEEDZ MY REVIEWZ! Thanks to those who have done so. Puffin plushies for you! *hands out***


	6. Pregnant Italian

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.**

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Something was poking her face. Alleta could feel it, but she refused to open her eyes, or even swat away whatever what poking her. Perhaps if she ignored it, whoever it was would go away.

Unfortunately for her, the pokes only continued at a slightly faster pace. Alleta groaned and cracked open one eye. Lo and behold, the puffin stood next to her head with a look that said "I thought you would never wake up."

"Oh, what do you want, pesky bird?" Alleta asked with a hint of crankiness. Of course, she expected no answer from the small animal. At least, not in human language. The puffin squaked and jumped off the bed, running to the door. There were voices outside, a hint that the home's owners were already awake.

Yesterday, Antonio had offered that she could stay with him and his wife, Mila, until she decided to move on. Alleta had agreed, seeing that there was no real option. Unless she wanted to sleep outside again, that is.

She had gotten to know the Spaniard's wife while on freetime. Since she did not have to tend to Cloud, with him staying near the mule outside. Also, Mila had nothing to do on her part either. Since she wasn't the best when it came to cleaning, she actually left Antonio to do that.

Alleta found out that the woman was Italian, and had the firey attitude to prove it. Never before had Alleta ever heard so many curses come out of someone's mouth!

The puffin squaked again, snatching Alleta away from her thoughts. She rose from the bed and walked towards the door, "Yes, I hear you, pest."

Before she even put her hand on the door, it swung open, hitting her right in the face. Alleta fell back on her bum and held her cheek, warm liquid flowing out onto her fingers. She looked up to see Mila standing in the doorway.

"So you are awake. You need to come out of here already and- Did I do that?" the Italian woman asked as she noticed the injury. Immediately, she knelt down and moved Alleta's hand from the cheek. The door had hit her hard enough to break the skin, and miniscule crimson rivers were coming out from the purpling area.

Mila had a look of genuine concern and apology, "I'm sorry. Come along, I'll get that taken care of."

Alleta decided that it would be best to let the older woman help her, and not mention that she already knew how to care for the small wound. After all, she did spend a lot of time around Elizabeta when the healer was caring for the wounded. Even though her parents did not want her to.

Yet, she did wonder why the Italian suddenly was acting so...motherly. The tender care was evident as Mila gently dabbed a wet cloth on the wound to clean away the blood.

"Mila, if this doesn't offend you, why are you suddenly like this?" Alleta asked, focusing on the woman's odd curl so that she wouldn't move.

Said woman looked at her with confusion, "What the hell do you mean, 'like this'?"

Alleta flinched at the curse, not yet used to hearing such language so frequently. But she answered none-the-less, "I mean that you act like a mother right now. So gentle..."

Mila stopped all movement for the time it took a heart to beat once, then spoke. "I suppose it is just instincts and hormones. Seeing you hurt must have made me turn to my maternal ways." she said. This made Alleta even more confused. And it seemed like Mila could tell by the look on the younger's face.

"Do not tell anyone, but I was told by Madeline that I am to be a mother." she explained. The response was the snow-haired girl's eyes going wide.

"Oh! I had no idea! You are not showing any signs! At least, not that one can see." Alleta said, her eyes wandering to Mila's flat belly.

Mila chuckled softly, "I have only just begun carrying this child. It will most likely be born in next summer, as it is autumn now."

As soon as Mila had finished speaking, the entry door was thrown open, and in came Antonio. Mila instantly fitted a glare to her features, loosing the motherly atmosphere.

"Damnation, Antonio! You just left not even an hour ago, bastardo!" she said irritably. The Spaniard only smiled brightly and embraced her without warning.

"I heard everything, amor! Por qué no me dijiste?! Esto es fantástico" Antonio said happily. Alleta did not know what he had said, but Mila's face went bright red.

Antonio noticed immediately and laughed, "Mila, you look like a tomato!"

"N-no I do not! How d-dare you eavesdrop on a private con-conversation?!" Mila asked, stuttering a bit.

The man did not answer as he ran out, shouting to everyone that he was 'going to be a padre'. Mila instantly ran after him to deny the information.

Alleta still sat there, in complete confusion.

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**A/N: Mila is Fem!Romano. And yes, she's preggers! But so will another character be later in the story (not talking about Alleta).**

**Translations:**

**Esto es fantástico! (Spanish) - This is fantastic!**

**Por qué no me dijiste?! (Spanish) - Why did you not tell me?!**

**Amor! (Spanish) - Love!**

**Padre (Spanish) - Father.**


	7. Look To The Moon

**Disclaimer: Hetalia will never be mine.**

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That night was certainly a cold one. Fridged air made Alleta's teeth chatter, and the wind felt like a thousand wasps stinging her face. It was only late October, and yet it was already freezing at night. Though Alleta had learned to tolerate and even enjoy the cold, she dreaded the coming winter.

She honestly did not know what had possessed her to come outside in the first place. Perhaps it was because she simply could not sleep, since she did feel wide awake. But there was an odd feeling that it was something else.

Tilting her head up, her indigo eyes met the ivory sphere that was the moon. It's soft light had always comforted her, and made her relax. Of course, her silent plea was met with no sign of response. She sighed, and looked back down to her feet. The white boots she wore were a bit dirty from her previous traveling. Her thoughts trailed off to what must be happening at the castle in Manchiesta. A sudden pang of what felt like light-headedness struck her. Then left just as quickly.

"So that's it," Alleta realized, "They're all probably worried sick. But I can't go back. Not yet."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked back towards the village. A bit of regret as she felt as if she were turning her back on her kingdom. Her family and people.

_I'm not,_ she told herself, _I will return, come next autumn. Hopefully they can wait that long._

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Lukas pulled in a deep breath, and released it. The past days had been hard. Not just for him, but for everyone. The moment it was realized that Alleta had gone, the kingdom had launched into a state of extreme concern for the young princess.

But the thing that really troubled Lukas' mind, was Ivan's reaction. The large man had not been angry, no, he had been infuriated. Yet, even though he was extremely upset, the childish smile remained on his face. A shudder ran through Lukas' body as he remembered the menacing aura that surrounded the violet-eyed man. It was enough to make even the bravest soldier stand down.

What was worse, is that he promised troubling times for the kingdom as he left. Everyone knew that it was not a threat, but a promise. A cold, heartless promise. Dread racked throughout the castle, as only those who lived on the grounds knew of it.

"Hnng..."

Lukas turned his head slightly to see what appeared to be a large green cloud of smoke. But he knew that it was simply a spirit that had entered his room. Many people thought he had gone insane when he first mentioned spirits visiting him and that he could use magic. He had been only four winters old.

At first, he'd been terrified. But he gradually warmed up to the idea of it all. He had certainly enjoyed messing with the maids as a child, using magic to make things disappear or move. But it was also kind of saddening to him, that no one believed him one bit. That was, until Alleta found out. And miraculously, she believed him. Believed in magic and the spirits, despite her never seeing them.

He smiled, remembering those days. Before all this mess happened. When he and Alleta still had the innocence of a child's mind, the freedom of it. So imagine his reaction when he found out that his innocent sister was doing. When he first saw her sneaking out, and meeting a certain Danish boy.

_Lukas was fourteen, starting yesterday. He already knew plenty about puberty and such. Though the thought of certain things made a blush settle on his pale cheeks. He was sitting in the gardens at this time, simply watching as small birds twittered away and insects hid from their predators' eyes. Then, movement caught his attention off to the side. Her turned, and was surprised to see his sister making her way towards a gate that had long been locked tight. It wouldn't have bothered him much if he had not noticed how oddly she was acting. Looking over her shoulder now and then, and seemed to be trying to hide from sight. So, out of curiosity, he got up and followed her. At a distance, of course._

_Confusion immediately set in when she took out a loose bar in the gate, and slipped out. What on Earth was she doing? The blonde boy followed her once she moved off into the semi-tall grass. The height of the plants made it a bit hard to do so, since he could not see the seven-year-old very well. But that did not stunt his determination to find out what his sister was up to. A somewhat familiar voice reached his ears, and he stopped when Alleta came into sight. She stood near a wild-haired boy that looked a few years younger that Lukas._

_"You came earlier than me for once, Mathias." Alleta said with a hint of surprise. The name alone was enough to make Lukas remember that 'Mathias' was the annoying boy from the village._

_"Hva er hun gjør med ham?" Lukas asked, mainly to himself. He did not even realize that he had spoken in Norwegian._

_He contemplated simply coming out of his hiding spot, grabbing Alleta's frail arm, and marching her back to the castle. But, then Alleta would know that he had followed her, therefore she'd feel as though she couldn't trust or confide in him. And she did not trust many people enough to to so. It was a privilege that Lukas did not want to lose. So what could he do?_

_Answer: Just watch, and come out only if necessary. That wasn't wrong, right? A little creepy, but not wrong._

_So Lukas carefully walked a distance away and made his way up into a tree. This way he could very easily watch over the two, but not get caught doing so._

_The whole time, he marveled at how the energetic idiot of a Dane quickly coaxed Alleta out of her shell. How playful she became and the joyful smile that was on the snow-haired girl's face. And how oddly gentle Mathias was while playing with her, being nearly twice the girl's size._

_A small tinge of jealousy ran through Lukas, being as he thought he was the only one who could make his sister act in such a way. But he pushed the emotion away and continued observing._

_The sun was just about ready to begin setting when Alleta and Mathias said good-bye to each other and went their separate ways. Lukas climbed down the tree and trailed after his sister._

_He never did question her about the day. Though he was 100% sure she continued meeting with the boy._

Lukas stood once he was done reminiscing, and left his room, despite it long having gone dark out. He walked out of the castle, and into the gardens. There he sat exactly where he had that day, and looked towards the full moon above him.

A small smile graced his lips as he knew that Alleta was probably looking at the moon, too. Most likely far from the castle by now, and maybe even outside the kingdom. He closed his eyes, and made a silent prayer. Asking that Alleta would be granted a safe journey, and that she'd return safely as well.

He then opened his eyes and said, "Alleta, I do hope you don't do something foolish."

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**A/N: Sorry for the wait, I've had a bit of writer's block recently. ^-^'**

**There was a reviewer who mentioned that I should put more than one scene in the chapters. So I happily obliged!**

**Translations:**

**Hva er hun gjør med ham? (Norwegian) - What is she doing with him?**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


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